Posts tagged nintendo-media-summit-08 
Joystiq hands-on: Wii Wheel
I had low expectations for the Wii Wheel before playing a few rounds of Mario Kart at the Nintendo Media Summit. The circular chunk of plastic exceeded my expectations. And that's my advice in life: Expect little and be constantly pleased. I twisted the small wheel to turn my racer. Gentle movemen...
Joystiq hands-on: Pop (Wiiware)
WiiWare will include casual, simple, and hopefully cheap titles with its upcoming release outside of Japan. While some of the Wiiware efforts on display at the Nintendo Media Summit impressed and surprised me, I was more ambivalent about Pop. The simple game is just about pointing and clicking on bu...
Joystiq hands-on: Zenses: Ocean (DS)
The Game Factory showed off its upcoming DS puzzler, Zenses: Ocean, and the Nintendo Media Summit. This publisher has made a business out of licensed titles -- Bratz, Garfield, Build-A-Bear Workshop -- but is trying to break into original games with Zenses. Pitched as a relaxing, almost trance-induc...
Joystiq impressions: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King (WiiWare)
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King turns RPG gamers into a coach, vicariously living out the glory of dungeon quests by sending in adventurers. I saw the game at the Nintendo Media Summit and didn't understand the appeal. Aren't the quests the best part of RPGs? If you think upgra...
Joystiq hands-on: Major League Eating: The Game (WiiWare)
Major League Eating: The Game initially seemed to be a weak concept for a licensed title. Is eating actually a game? How do you turn one tenuous "sport" into a tenuous videogame? Mastiff has met that challenge by embellishing on competitive eating, spinning the contests into a fantasy world of pow...
Joystiq impressions: Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood
A turn-based RPG, Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood moves the speedy Sega characters into a role-playing world. After a big, "Huh?" I gave this DS-only game a shot at the Nintendo Media Summit. But especially with Bioware behind the project, I came away thinking it could be a fun game for kid...
Joystiq hands-on: Rock Band (Wii)
Rock Band is coming out on the Wii June 22, with the guitar-mic-drum-game bundle price of $179. You've played it on other systems. I played it on the Wii. My short impression: It's Rock Band on the Wii. Rock Band looks a little different on the Nintendo system. The controllers are all finished in ...
Joystiq hands-on: Space Invaders Extreme (DS/PSP)
My surprise of the week: Space Invaders Extreme. I played a few rounds at the Nintendo Media Summit since there was no line for the lonely kiosk. (Its PR handlers had even abandoned it, working double-duty at the Crystal Chronicles station across the room.) But as soon as I began tapping the button...
Joystiq impressions: Wii Fit mini-games
Sure, Wii Fit is about health and lifestyle, but I'm looking forward to the games; I sampled some of the lesser-known modes at the recent Nintendo Media Summit. We've already played with the hula-hoop, soccer, ski-jump, and other basics, so I jumped straight to tightrope walking, floating in a bub...
Joystiq hands-on: World of Goo (WiiWare)
Cute graphics and sounds: Check. Clever puzzle mechanic: Check. Irresistible gameplay: Check. World of Goo hits the required bullet points to be an indie game darling. And comfortable Wii Remote controls make it a perfect fit to be in Nintendo's WiiWare lineup. Players build simple structures by poi...
